Jet closing device



Nov. 26, 1968 F. w. SHARP, JR

JET CLOSING DEVICE Filed Jan. 5, 1967 0 R QN Rd y w E N? W; m N L W k m2% w /7Z F w 2 m United States Patent 3,412,563 JET CLOSING DEVICE FrankW. Sharp, Jr.. Houston, Tex., assignor to The Olfshore Company, Houston,Tex., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 607,000 12Claims. (Cl. 6146.5)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A closing device for a jet line system of amarine plat form caisson. A valve housing an upper seating portion toclose off the orifice of the jet line when the caisson is in a marinebottom, and a lower seating portion to seat on a keeper ring to allowflow of jet streams of fluid from the jet line when the caisson is to beraised from the marine bottom, and the valve being sized to be movedbetween the keeper ring and the orifice so as to permit seating of onlyone seating portion at a time.

This invention relates to a jet closing device and more particularly, toa jet closing device for a caisson or the like. Still more particularly,this invention relates to a jet closing device for a marine platformcaisson or the like.

Generally, marine platforms, such as dock or offshore oil well drillingbarges, are constructed to be buoyant and to be towed or otherwisepropelled to a marine site. In order to maintain the position of theplatforms at a marine site, the platforms are frequently provided withcaissons or similar members which are mounted for vertical movement withrespect to the deck of the platforms so as to support the platforms on amarine bottom as well as to raise and lower the platforms relative tothe water surface.

Heretofore, caissons for marine platforms have been formed of a tubularshape with closed lower ends which have been pushed into the upper layerof a marine bottom by suitable jacking assemblies on the platforms so asto achieve secure footings for the caissons. The upper layer of themarine bottom has usually been formed of loose soil in a muckish ormuddy state and when such caissons have been raised by the jackingassemblies from the marine bottom, for example when the marine platformis to be moved to a new site, considerable suction force has often beenimposed on the bottom of the caissons by the marine bottom in oppositionto the raising forces of the jacking assemblies.

In order to overcome such suction forces, the caissons have beenprovided with jet lines through which streams of water have been jettedinto the upper layers of the marine bottom to disturb the state of thesoil and thereby break the suction on the bottom of the caisson. In somecases, the orifices of the jet lines have been formed in the face of theclosed ends of the caissons so that the jets of water have been directedvertically into the marine bottom. In other cases, the jet lines haveended in nozzle bodies which project vertically from the closed end of acaisson into a marine bottom, and which have orifices for directing jetstreams horizontally as well as vertically into the surrounding layer orsoil. In these cases, however, the jet lines have been easily subjectedto clogging during penetration of the caissons into a marine bottom asthe orifices have been unprotected against entry of foreign matter.Further, these jet lines have not been efficient in breaking the suctionof the marine bottom in a rapid low-cost manner since the jet streamshave been directed in narrow horizontal or vertical paths which have notcovered the entire face of the closed ends of the caissons.

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Generally, this invention provides a jet closing device which is mountedon the face of a head of a caisson for cooperation with the orifice of ajet line system in the caisson. The head is generally of dished shape tofacilitate its washing by jet streams of fluid from the jet line system.The jet closing device includes a keeper ring which is supported spacedfrom and in alignment with the orifice in the dished head by supportswhich are spaced around the ring and orifice so as to provide aplurality of openings between the supports. The device also includes avalve body which has a lower end which is shaped to seat within thekeeper ring and an upper end which is shaped to seat within the orificein the dished head.

When a caisson employing the jet closing device of this invention islowered into a marine bottom, the valve body which has been resting onthe keeper ring is forced from the keeper ring by the marine bottom, andis pushed into seating engagement with the orifice in the dished head,thereby preventing passage of any soil or foreign matter into theorifice. When the caissson is to be raised from the marine bottom, wateris forced through the jet line system to push the valve body from theorifice and against the keeper ring. At the same time, jet streams ofwater pass through the openings formed between the keeper ring supportsin a plurality of substantially transverse directions adjacent the faceof the dished head. The jet streams of water continue to follow thecontour of the face of the dished head so as to effect a substantiallycomplete Washing of the dished head. This causes a rapid and efiicientbreakup of the suction force of the soil on the lower end of thecaisson. The caisson can then be quickly raised in a conventional mannerwith relative ease. I

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide aself-actuating check valve for the lower end of a cassion jet line whichprevents entry of soil into the jet line.

It is another object of the invention to provide a jet closing devicefor a jet line of a caisson which facilitates a substantially completewashing of the lower end of the caisson upon removal of the caisson fromwithin a layer of soil.

It is another object of the invention to provide a jet closing devicefor a jet line in the lower end of a caisson which is substantiallymaintenance-free.

It is another object of the invention to provide a jet closing devicewhich permits a substantially full scouring of a dished head in thelower end of a caisson submerged in a marine bottom.

It is another object of the invention to provide a jet closing devicewhich permits a rapid breakup of the suction force of a marine bottom ona caisson of a marine platform seated therein.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become moreapparent from the following detailed description and appended claimstaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of a marine platform supported bycaissons on a marine platform;

FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a view of the jet closing device of the inventionduring penetration of a caisson into the marine bottom;

FIG. 4 illustrates a view of the jet closing device similar to FIG. 3with the valve body in seating engagement with the orifice in thecaisson head;

FIG. 5 illustrates another view of the jet closing device similar toFIG. 3 with the valve body seated in the keeper ring; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 1, marine platform 10 has a deck 11 which is supportedabove the water line 12 by a plurality of spaced caissons 13 on a marinebottom 14.

Referring to FIG. 2, each caisson 13 is formed of a shell 15 ofcylindrical or other suitable shape which carries an interior jet linesystem 16. The lower end of the caisson 13 is provided with a recessedhead 17 which, for example, has a face of dished shape. Head 17 ismounted in shell 15 as by welding, and an annular band 18 is se cured inshell 15 below and spaced apart from head 17 to reinforce the shell. Inaddition, the jet line system 16 terminates in an orifice 19 which isformed in head 17 in a central position so as to direct a jet stream offluid from the jet line system 17 into the marine bottom 14.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 6, a jet closing device 20 is mounted on theface of head 17 in alignment with the orifice 19 of the jet line system16. The jet closing device 20 includes a keeper ring 21 of generallyannular shape with a central opening having a conical seat 22. Thekeeper ring is in spaced alignment with orifice 19 and is supported by aplurality of supports 23 in columnar fashion from the face of head 17.Supports 23 are equally spaced about keeper ring 21 in order to providea plurality of openings for passage of jet streams of fluid transverselyof the keeper ring from the orifice 19 of the jet line system. Jetclosing device 20 in addition, includes a valve body 24 which isdisposed concentrically within keeper ring 21. The lower end 25 of valvebody 24 has a conical shape corresponding to the conical seat 22 in thekeeper ring 21, and the upper end 26 of valve body 24 has a conicalshape for seating in a complementary seat 27 in orifice 19.Additionally, valve body 24 is formed with a stem 28 having an upper endwhich is sized to project into the orifice 19 to guide the valve bodyrelative to the orifice.

Valve body 24 is sized to be loosely received between keeper ring 21 andthe face of head 17 so that, as viewed in FIG. 3, when the valve body isseated in the keeper ring 21, the upper end 26 of the valve body isspaced from the seat 27 of orifice 19.

Referring to FIG. 4, in operation, when a caisson 13 is being loweredinto the marine bottom 14, valve body 24 which is of suflicient weightto be initially seated in seat 22 of keeper ring 21 under the force ofgravity is brought into contact with the marine bottom 14 and, whilepenetrating slightly into the marine bottom, is raised from keeper ring21 into mating engagement with the seat 27 in Orifice 19. This closesthe jet line system 16 and prevents the introduction of any soil of themarine bottom 14 into the jet line systtem 16.

Referring to FIG. 5, when a caisson 13 is being lifted from the marinebottom 14, fluid such as water is fed under pressure through the jetline system 16 in a usual manner to force valve body 24 toward keeperring 21. When the valve body moves out of mating engagement with theseat 27 of orifice 19, the fluid flows as indicated between stem 28 andthe wall of the orifice 19 substantially uniformly over the upper end 26of the valve body 24, and the fluid is directed between supports 23 inmultiple jet streams transversely of the keeper ring 21 and across thecontour of the face of the caisson head 17. In passing over the face ofhead 17, the fluid jet streams substantially fully wash the face of thehead 17 of the marine bottom soil, thereby breaking the suction force ofthe marine bottom 14 on the lower end of the caisson and facilitatingthe raising of the caisson from the marine bottom.

The invention thus provides a jet closing device which not only preventsthe introduction of foreign matter into the jet line system of acaisson, but also serves to substantially completely wash the bottom ofthe caisson to break any suction force on the caisson bottom when thecaisson is to be lifted from the marine bottom. Not only does the jetclosing device efficiently and rapidly break the suction force on thecaisson, but the jet closing device is also of a simple constructionwhich allows substantially maintenance-free operation.

Having thus described the invention, it is apparent that changes may bemade therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. Accordingly, it is intended that the subject matter describedherein and shown in the drawings be interpreted as illustrative and notin a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a caisson having a head closing the lower endthereof and a jet line system having an orifice in said head; a jetclosing device comprising a keeper ring, a plurality of supportssupporting said keeper ring in spaced alignment with said jet linesystem orifice on the face of said head, and a valve body disposedwithin said supports between said head and keeper ring for alternativeseating in said orifice at one end thereof and said keeper ring at theother end thereof, said valve body having a shaped lower end forprojecting through and seating in said keeper ring and a shaped upperend for seating in said orifice.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said supports arespaced around said keeper ring and head to provide a plurality ofopenings therebetween for passage of jet streams of fluid transverselyof said keeper ring.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said keeper ring isannular.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said valve body endsare each of cone shape.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said head is dishedand said jet closing device is disposed centrally of said head whereby asubstantially full scouring of the face of said head is achieved uponpassage of a plurality of jet streams of fluid between said supportsfrom said jet line system when said valve body is seated in said keeperring.

6. The combination as set worth in claim 1 wherein said head is recessedin said caisson.

7. In combination with a marine platform support caisson for penetratinga marine bottom having a dished head closing the lower end thereof and ajet line system having an orifice in said head for directing a jetstream of fluid into the marine bottom; a jet closing device comprisingan annular keeper ring having a conical seat therein, a plurality ofsupports supporting said keeper ring in depending relation from saidhead in spaced alignment with said orifice therein, and a valve bodydisposed within said supports between said head and said keeper ring foralternative seating in said orifice at one end thereof and in saidkeeper ring conical seat at the other end thereof, whereby uponpenetration of said caisson into the marine bottom said valve body seatsin said orifice and upon passage of a fluid through said jet line systemfor removal of said caisson from the marine bottom said valve body seatsin said keeper ring seat to allow passage of a plurality of jet streamsof fluid between said supports adjacent the face of said head tosubstantially fully scour said face.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 7 wherein said head is recessedin said caisson.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 7 wherein said supports areequally spaced around said keeper ring.

10. In combination with a jet line system having an orifice fordis-charging fluid; a jet closing device including an annular keeperring, a plurality of supports spaced around said keeper ring supportingsaid keeper ring in spaced depending alignment with said orifice, and avalve body disposed within said supports, said valve body being coneshaped at the lower end to project through and to seat in said keeperring and at the upper end to seat in said orifice for sealing of saidorifice.

11. The combination as set forth in claim 10 wherein said supports arecircumferentially spaced about said keeper ring to form a plurality ofopenings therebetween whereby a plurality of jet streams of Water can bepassed between said supports transversely of said keeper ring uponseating of said valve body in said keeper ring, said valve body beingspaced from the orifice of the jet line system.

12. In combination, a head, a jet line system having an orificeterminating in said head for the flow of water therefrom, and a closingdevice including a plurality of supports depending from said head inspaced circumferential disposition about said orifice to form aplurality of circumferentially spaced openings therebetween, an annularkeeper ring mounted on said supports below said head in spaced relationto said head and in alignment with said orifice, and a valve bodydisposed Within said supports, said valve body being cone shaped at thelower end for seating in and projecting through said keeper ring and atthe upper end for seating in said orifice and having a stern projectingfrom said cone shaped upper end into said orifice to guide said valvebody relative to said orifice, said valve body being sized toalternately seat in said orifice and said keeper ring whereby, uponseating in said keeper ring, said valve body directs a flow of Waterfrom said orifice of said jet line system into a plurality of jetstreams passing from said openings between said columns across thebottom of said head.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,043,279 11/1912 Wheeler 137533X 1,861,674 6/1932 Winterholf 137533 X 2,071,392 2/1937 Crowell 166225 X2,552,899 5/1951 Manes 6146.5 2,941,369 6/1960 Quirin 6146.5

JACOB SHAPIRO, Primary Examiner.

